1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and, more particularly, to an image processing apparatus and method, which can achieve various image edit functions and image modifying functions upon output of an image by digital processing of an input image.
2. Related Background Art
A digital color copying machine has become popular. In this digital copying machine, a color original is color-separated, and the color-separated original data are read in units of pixels. The read image data are subjected to digital processing, and the digital data are output to a color printer to obtain a digital color hard copy. Since a copying machine of this type has an advantage that image data can be digitally processed, various image processing functions are attained. For example, an output position of an image is moved (FIG. 1 .circle.1, a desired image area is extracted (FIG. 1 .circle.2), a color in only a desired area is changed (FIG. 1 .circle.3), and one of two areas on an original table is inserted and synthesized in other area (FIG. 1 .circle.4). Thus, an application range of such a copying machine in the field of a so-called color copy is increasingly widened. Therefore, upon combinations of various functions, the digital copying machine can be easily applied to color planning reports, advertising posters, sales promotion samples, graphic designs, and the like. The above-mentioned functions are realized by (1) moving, (2) deleting, (3) changing a color of, and (4) synthesizing a color image in a rectangular area in units of areas, and have become popular. Advertising posters or the like often require further image processing and modifying functions, as shown in FIG. 2. For example, a color image is colored in the form of characters .circle.1, characters are framed .circle.2, and a specific pattern is superposed on a color image to obtain a special effect .circle.3, and so on. In order to obtain these images, a large-scale printing apparatus must be used. Meanwhile, in the printing apparatus, a character plate to be overlaid must be separately formed, and must be overlaid with high precision to perform re-exposure, resulting in cumbersome operations. As a result, considerable cost and time are required. In recent years, an electronic process system or a total scanner system in which a character or photograph plate is electronically scanned and read to be fetched in a computer, and fetched data are displayed on a monitor screen and can be subjected to various edit operations on a memory plane is available. However, such a system is very expensive and large in size, and cannot be adopted in an office, e.g., a small design office. Therefore, such office workers must place an order to a print shop, and cost of image output is considerably increased.